/ əˈriːnə; NAmE / noun
1.
a place with a flat open area in the middle and seats around it where people can watch sports and entertainment :
a concert at Wembley Arena
2.
( formal ) an area of activity that concerns the public, especially one where there is a lot of opposition between different groups or countries :
the political / international arena
••
WORD ORIGIN
early 17th cent.: from Latin harena , arena sand, sand-strewn place of combat.